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questions about E-520 (1 Viewer)

RAH

RAH

Well-known member
I just bought an E-520 with the 14-42 kit lens, plus the 70-300 lens, a EC-14 teleconverter and an EX-25 extension tube. So, I'm all set! But I do have some questions I'm hoping folks can help me with. I searched tis forum some and also on the FourthirdsPhoto forum, but couldn't find enough.

First, is there any reason to install Olympus Master 2? I already have my computer successfully downloading images from the camera via Windows services (camera is just another external drive). I already have a ton of software to manipulate images. So, any reason to install (like perhaps firmware updates? Can these be done without the Master 2?)

Second, anyone have any suggestions for noise settings and sharpening? I intend to shoot Jpeg Large, fine (sometimes "normal" for space).

From reading elsewhere over the past months, and then looking at what's available, I figure:

Noise Reduction: Auto
Noise Filter: Low

would be the best compromise for general use.

As far as sharpness, it seems to be under Picture Mode. Assuming I use "Natural," any suggestions for sharpness? I want the camera to essentially leave the sharpness alone - I'll do it myself in post-processing.

Finally, about the Fn button and MyMode. If I'm reading the manual correctly, you cannot use the 2 MyModes unless you assign this task to the Fn button. Is this true? If so, that means you cannot use the Fn button for anything else, right? For example, I thought about using Fn for Preview (depth of field view), but then I cannot ever use MyMode?

Or should I just use Live View for depth of field viewing? Any thoughts?

Any help is appreciated.
 
RAH, I hope you get some answers from the Olympus users here. As birders, they are likely to know the sort of things we want to use it for and the likely conditions.

I've had mine for about a week now, same set up as you except I didn't get the 14-42 or the extension tube.

I installed Olympus master 2. I don't expect to use it much except I particularly like the photo browser, and you can open up Photoshop or the editing software of your choice from within it. In any event you have nothing to lose by trying it.
As for settings for noise etc, I'd like to see what other people use too
 
Zenzero, you are a true wildlife photography fan! - buying a new camera, but only getting the big telephoto lens. Of course, maybe you have the "standard" lens from an earlier Oly model, but I still like the "cut to the chase" attitude!

From reading elsewhere, it seems that if I want to do any RAW at all, I'll need the Master software, unless Paint Shop Pro can open an Oly RAW file (don't know, haven't tried it yet.) And it also appears that firmware updates require it.

Derry, thanks for the suggestions. That guy Wrotniak is very informative! I had read some of his stuff before buying the camera, but now that I have it, it makes it clearer, of course.

So far, I am having very good success with the 70-300 plus the EC-14 converter. Nice sharp results. The 70-300 close-focusing is MUCH easier to use than using the EX-25 tube on the standard 14-42 lens. Yikes, that was very difficult. I took a very sharp picture of a quarter that filled slightly more that the entire frame, but I was about 2 inches away from it and the focusing was very difficult (although once I was in the ballpark, autofocus DID work). I remember how hard using tubes was way back when I used film SLRs, but I kind of forgot it.

I found that the zoom ability of the 14-42 when used with the extension tube was no help at all. For example, I wanted to get the entire quarter in the frame, but if I tried to zoom back a little, I was forced to get closer to attain focus, and wound up with the quarter again spilling out of the top of the frame. Using the 70-300 is a piece of cake - you just get relatively close, zoom however you want, and focus. Autofocus worked fine. Only negative I can see is that the 70-300 is harder to keep steady than a shorter lens, even on a tripod. Might want to use Shock prevention, which is a cool feature.
 
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RAH said:
... buying a new camera, but only getting the big telephoto lens. Of course, maybe you have the "standard" lens from an earlier Oly model...
Click to expand...

Nope, not got a short lens at all. I do take photos of insects and flowers, but my superzoom is good at this and it is just as small and light as carrying an extra lens, and less hassle to change to in the field.

In answer to your earlier points:
Yes, If you assign the Fn button to something else you cannot use it for Mymodes.
Currently I set the Fn button to MF/AF.
You can also assign to the small button on top left (next to the flash button)
I set this to Iso speed. These were the two functions I reckoned I'd most want to change in a hurry.

You'll need Olympus Master 2 for Raw. It also has Firmware update on the menu, but I'm wary of using this cos I haven't seen a reason to yet. Anyone?

I suggest you install it. It takes a few minutes. There is an update for it to download. This takes longer than expected.
Note, when you first start it, it will repeatedly search the floppy drive if you have one and make horrible noises. You need to move the default directory.
 
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Zenzero said:
Yes, If you assign the Fn button to something else you cannot use it for Mymodes.
Currently I set the Fn button to MF/AF.
Click to expand...
I agree, but what I really meant is that it appears to me that you cannot even USE Mymode unless you assign them to the Fn button - i.e. there is no other way to get to them except via the Fn button (or perhaps the button beside the flash).

The other aspect of mymodes that seems kind of funky - from what it says in the manual, you have to HOLD DOWN the Fn button while taking the shot in order to get the mymode settings to be in effect - you can't just push the Fn button and release it in order to toggle the particular mymode settings on and off. Sounds pretty cumbersome.

I have also set Fn to MF/AF.

As far as the button beside the flash, the default (and its label) is to use it for going from single-shot mode to multi-shot mode, and also the self timer and remote. Since I use all these functions a lot (esp going from single to multiple shot), I'm leaving that as is. I have an old remote left over from my old Oly C-750 superzoom and I was pleased to realize it is the same wireless remote used for the E-520. Olympus messed up there (I don't have to buy yet more DSLR equipment)!

By the way, the ISO has a dedicated button (one of the direction buttons on the four-way direction pad).
 
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RAH said:
...By the way, the ISO has a dedicated button (one of the direction buttons on the four-way direction pad).
Click to expand...

You're right of course. I'd forgotten. I reset that other button back to single/continuous.
I can't see any other way to use Mymode except as you described.
 
Yeah, I missed those buttons myself at first. One quirk (feature?) I have noticed concerns the exposure compensation button's action. I use the button frequently because I use aperture priority a lot. According to the manual, you have to hold down the exposure compensation button while turning the control knob at the same time to change the compensation. However, I have noticed that if you press the compensation button once and release it, the control knob will still control the compensation amount - i.e. you do not have to hold the button down and turn the knob simultaneiously. If you press the button a 2nd time, the operation of the knob returns to its normal function (controlling the aperture; I suspect that if you just took a picture or pressed any other button, the knob would also return to its normal operation, although I haven't tried it).

I kind of wish I could find more specifics about such knob and button functionality. The manual is criticized a lot, but one thing I will say in its favor - it has a nice index. Most manuals do not have an index.
 
Thanks for that insight, zenzero! I think it would have taken me awhile to figure out what was going on when it reverted to its original function seemingly at random.

I was hoping to get more feedback on this thread. Surely other Oly users have some tips for using this camera that they'd like to share. Perhaps everyone thinks this is all obvious, but not if you're new to the camera.
 
Master has a good multiway indexing feature that is useful for tracking photos from dates of shoots from over 6 years, or by category etc. If only the dreaded negative stack running into thousands could be indexed so easily.

The E-520 effectively incorporates the firmware updates from the 500 and 510 so hopefully will only need updating for new hardware. Early models however always benefit from these updates as bugs are removed by the bucketload but by now 500's should be sorted.

Really the secret with this series is to wind down sharpening and noise in JPEGS and avoid the dreaded blown highlights all of which you have already learned.

The only other thing to take care of is that shooting into bushes and trees often benefits from setting single point focus which helps to avoid the need for attempting to fine tune focus on the small screen. The viewfinder magnifier can help here.

My own personal wish list is for a second control dial to allow simpler manual exposure as on the bigger and more expensive E-1 and 3, which are far easier to use but bulky and heavy.

Anyway the more you use it the easier it gets - so use it as an excuse to get out and enjoy yourself.
 
RAH said:
I was hoping to get more feedback on this thread. Surely other Oly users have some tips for using this camera that they'd like to share. Perhaps everyone thinks this is all obvious, but not if you're new to the camera.
Click to expand...
To be honest RAH, you seem to have learned more about the operation of your camera in a few days than I have in the six months I have owned my E-510.

I normally use Natural mode and have the Contrast set to -1, the Sharpness to -2 and the Noise Filter at Low. I have also started using a standard EV setting of -3. I also only shoot RAW now.

Incidentally the tip about pressing the button once before altering the EV dial doesn't work on my E-510. I have to hold it down while I alter the dial or it just alters the aperture. Another difference between the E-510 and E-520?

In practice, I find that I rarely have much time to twiddle with the camera, as it's a case of zooming in on the bird and getting it in focus before it flies away. There again most of my photographs are taken while walking about rather than sitting in a hide. That's probably why my photographs are not that good.

Good luck with the camera and I hope you enjoy using it as much as I do mine.

Ron
 
NoSpringChicken said:
Incidentally the tip about pressing the button once before altering the EV dial doesn't work on my E-510. I have to hold it down while I alter the dial or it just alters the aperture. Another difference between the E-510 and E-520?
Click to expand...
Yes, it does seem that this is a difference. I find it difficult to hold both down together (although I could probably get used to it), so I'm glad they added this feature. The fact that there are differences between the E-510 and E520 is one reason why looking on this and other forums for tips on camera settings and usage is sometimes not as helpful as it might be.

Interesting that both Ron and iveljay recommend dialing down the sharpening. I had seen that Wrotniak recommended that too, so, when I first got my camera, I set it to -2 on sharpening. But then when I took some pictures and looked at the EXIF data and read "soft" beside the Sharpness attribute, it freaked me out and I returned the setting to 0 (which causes the EXIF Sharpness attribute to show "Normal"). This had nothing to do with what the pictures look like, I should mention - just that "Soft" sounded awful! :) . Guess I shouldn't be so easily influenced by wording!
 
One other tip that I have mentioned before is that I always have the review screen set to 'highlight'. This means that any blown highlight areas blink which gives you a reminder to try another shot with -EV. Without this feature, it's not always obvious from the screen that the highlights have been blown and it's disappointing when you view the image on the computer and discover that they are blocked.

Ron
 
I have been wondering about the battery and whether you can "top it off," which is considered a bad procedure with Nicad and even NIMH batteries. Well, there is a thread about this subject here:

http://forum.fourthirdsphoto.com/showthread.php?t=32660

which is pretty informative.

I did have one odd occurrence with these Lithium-ion batteries. The one I got with the camera took the full 5 hours to charge. But I bought a 2nd one, an Adorama brand ($20). The charger light turned green after less than 2 hours.

If this happens with new NIMHs or even old NIMHs, it usually means you have a bad battery that won't take a full charge, because you pretty much know that when you get the battery it is close to fully depleted. My La Crosse charger even has a mode to fix such batteries (refresh), which works wonderfully.

So, I am wondering if the Adorama battery is OK. If so, it must be that they charge these batteries when they are manufactured and the one I got still had a charge. This implies that these batteries retain their charge for quite a while, unlike NIMHs (not "the "hybrid" / eneloop ones).

I should mention that I have used the Adorama battery now for at least 200 pictures, including maybe 10 flash ones, and it is working OK so far, so it looks like it is OK.

Anyway, does anyone know if Lithium-ion batteries lose their charge just sitting on a shelf (or in a camera)?
 
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